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Sounds awful for everyone, especially the kids. I feel for them the most. They have been through a lot and of course it effects their behavior.

I don’t blame you for cutting ties. Many of us have had to cut ties with certain people in certain situations. I have tried to help a friend who fell down cement stairs and injured their back.

She asked me to go back and forth to an attorney to get disability. I went for moral support. It took her several attempts before succeeding.

I hung in there with her. She got hooked on opioids and Xanax. When she crashed her car through her hair salon window, I decided that she is going to have to completely hit rock bottom before asking for help, if she doesn’t die first.

I don’t think people can be helped if they aren’t ready to receive help. It’s incredibly sad. Best wishes to all of them, especially the children.

Help the children out. Call CPS for them but the adults have to want to change or be forced by law enforcement to change.
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"do I anonymously call CPS and turn her in?"

Yes and make that call immediately after reading this!
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My concern would be the stress of being involved at all, for you Mid.
Boundaries up, and back away.
1) to protect yourself;
2) to get the children the help they need
(by backing away, you stop supporting a sinking ship with a bucket to bail water, and let the Coast Guard do their job.)

3) You can report her as a vulnerable adult to APS.

4) If you want this situation to be explored by the appropriate authorities, you could start by calling Animal Control and report neglect of an animal? This is a low-key way to have eyes on the scene, mandated reporters.

5) There are family" - "grandparents" on the mother's side of the family? CPS could reach out.
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Sendhelp Feb 2020
BTW,
You have done a great kindness so far for your "friend", it is people like you who make the world a better place.
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This breaks my heart. The animals, the children, the old lady just trying to do her best and in way over her head. So much enabling and disabling. You simply must let the authorities know. Anonymous or not.
If I were you I'd engage a social worker one on one and let them know about the situation. Tell him or her what you've shared here. Intervening is the only chance any of them will have at having a shot at life. Bless you, bless your friend, bless the animals, bless the children. I pray for a miracle on behalf of this situation.
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Another consideration is that someone sooner or later is going to report the living conditions and authorities may step in with a much stronger and less compassionate agenda.  

In addition, the health of everyone will be affected if changes aren't made.
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I can understand the dilemma, and the concern about reporting an old friend.   But the issue is what are the best options for her, the children and the animals, now and in the future?  And that's not the situation which exists now.

It may be that she's so overwhelmed that it's difficult if not impossible to make decisions.   So I would help her and call in reinforcements before the situation deteriorates any more.   Sometimes people just need a little bit of guidance or outside help to redirect the path they're on.  

The parents clearly are out of the picture, so they're not a consideration.   And at 70 (which really isn't old but is too old to be bringing up 3 kids), that's got to be a real challenge for her.   The condition of the house suggests as well, and that the path is a downward one for her as well as the children and animals.

And kudos to you for sticking with her for so long and for having the compassion and strength to help her while you yourself were dealing with your own health challenges.
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If CPS finds all of this acceptable at least you will have a clear conscience that you did what you could, if they step in then you will have confirmation that your concerns are not baseless - the way I see it is that it's a win either way.
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I recall some of this story way back but it certainly sounds worse. Yes I think that authorities should be called. I don't think an animal deserves living with her. If the children are back with her that is also bad news. How could they not be terrible given what they have endured? The whole situation sounds truly very awful. She even needs protection from herself. Anyone under her lack of care and terrible lifestyle deserves protection. I am sure she has had a difficult time in life without basic advantages and I feel for that issue but the status quo of all this needs some intervention if at all possible.
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Your friend, or former friend, is in desperate need of rescue as are the children. They all deserve a better life. You would be doing all of them a favor by reporting the situation. They’re blessed to have someone like you to care
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